[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2026-02-27

Fri Feb 27 11:20:55 PST 2026

Oregon Heritage News 2026-02-27
In this Issue:

  *   Registration is open for the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference and Excellence Awards, Early Bird is $150 until 3/20
  *   Recent Oregon Heritage Exchange Blog post looks at tools to recognize and designate places significant to black history in Oregon
  *   Oregon Heritage/SHPO State Commissions/Committee quarterly highlights
  *   American Alliance of Museums Blog - Talking to the Press: How to Excel as a Museum Spokesperson
  *   American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) and Coalition Sue U.S. Department of the Interior
  *   2026 Northwest Archivist Conference in Tacoma, June 24-26 - call for proposals are open
  *   Webinar: Tracing Trends in Philanthropy, March 5
  *   Gen Z Drafts New Declaration to Commemorate America's 250th Anniversary
  *   America 250 Oregon Grant Project Highlight - Film of Baker County residents read the Declaration of Independence

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Registration is open for the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference and Excellence Awards, Early Bird is $150 until 3/20
In case you missed it, registration just opened for the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference & Excellence Awards:
2026 Oregon Heritage Conference<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx> and Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards
Stories, Culture, Place - Weaving Community Heritage
April 29-May 2, Woodburn
Communities are complex and varied, how they are viewed by visitors and residents is informed by the long history of human experience in that place and their own experiences. The 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference will explore the intersection of stories, culture, and place to develop community heritage. This heritage is the anchor for participation, economic development, connection, and possibilities for a vibrant and healthy community.
Join us for four days of sessions, workshops, tours, partner events, networking, an inspiring plenary speaker, an awards celebration, and more totaling over 60 opportunities to connect, learn, and be inspired.
Register by March 20 to get the awesome Early Bird rate of $150!
Learn more and register here.<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx>
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Recent Oregon Heritage Exchange Blog post looks at tools to recognize and designate places significant to black history in Oregon
Black History Month offers an opportunity to recognize the many places across Oregon that reflect generations of Black life, leadership, activism, and cultural expression. Some of these places are well known, but many are underrecognized or have only recently begun to receive the attention they deserve. Oregon Heritage supports this work through a variety of tools, including Multiple Property Documentation forms (MPDs), which help communities identify, document, and nominate these significant places to the National Register of Historic Places. Read more on the Oregon Heritage Exchange Blog<https://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/2026/02/27/black-history-in-oregontools-to-recognize-and-designate-significant-places/>.
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Oregon Heritage/SHPO State Commissions/Committee quarterly highlights
Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office, houses four state commissions and committees: the Oregon Heritage Commission (OHC), the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC), the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation (SACHP), and the Historic Assessment Review Committee (HARC). These groups meet throughout the year, and the following provides an overview of their recent business from January through March:
State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Commissions.aspx#SACHP> (SACHP), met February 19-20 online. Business included:

  *   Trainings on Oregon public meetings laws and on evaluating and nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion B, which applies to places significantly associated with the lives of individuals who made important contributions to local, state, or national history.
  *   Guest presentation from Becky Soules, Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery volunteer and current Collections & Education Director at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, on her experience and the long-term effects of listing the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery in Coos Bay in the National Register of Historic Places.
  *   Review and recommendation of the following National Register of Historic Places nominations:
     *   La Grande Carnegie Library, La Grande, Union County: recommended with revisions
     *   Oregon Casket Company Building, Portland, Multnomah County: recommended with revisions
     *   Ursula K. Le Guin House, Portland, Multnomah County: recommended with revisions
     *   Banks Union High School, Banks, Washington County: not recommended
  *   Nominations recommended by the SACHP and the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer (Deputy SHPO) will be forwarded to the National Park Service for final review and listing consideration. The next SACHP meeting will be on June 25-26, 2026, in Tryon Creek State Natural Area; the agenda will be announced on our webpage <https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Commissions.aspx#SACHP> in early April 2026.
  *   If you're interested in nominating a property to the National Register, Oregon Heritage's National Register webpage is a great place to start: https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/oh/pages/national-register.aspx. Review the eligibility criteria and nomination timeline in our handbook<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/NRHandbook_web.pdf>, and explore research tools<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/national-register.aspx#research> to begin uncovering your property's history. If you think your property may be eligible and want to take the next step, please complete and submit a Historic Resource Record (HRR) form<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/national-register.aspx#two>. SHPO staff will review your submission and help guide you through the next steps.
Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Commissions.aspx#OCHC> (OCHC), met on February 6, 2026 online. The meeting included the following:

  *   Sons of Union Veterans<https://suvcw.org/monuments-and-memorials/state/oregon> shared their work with the commission. This organization accesses and installs veteran monuments associated with veterans of the Civil War throughout the state. The also complete mark repairs and hold formal ceremonies.
  *   Historic Preservation Northwest, a consulting firm, shared an update of their experience in marker repair work over the last few years. They often test tools, materials and methods to improve results.
  *   The Oregon Historic Cemeteries Grant is open for applications. The grant deadline is April 9, 2026.
  *   SOLVE is supporting spring historic cemetery cleanup days<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/tools.aspx#cemsolve> again this year. They help with insurance coverage for the day, materials and supplies and volunteer recruitment.
The next Oregon Heritage Commission Meeting will be held during the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference. Early Bird registration of $150 is open now through March 20. Learn more here<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx>.
Oregon Heritage Commission<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/Commissions.aspx#OHC> (OHC), met Jan. 26 online. Business included:

  *   Welcoming two new Governor appointed Commissioners: Amy Tracewell in Portland and Larry Landis in Corvallis.
  *   Karen Edgerton, a Central Oregon resident, informed the Commission of an effort to update statues
related to gaining title to unclaimed museum loans, ORS 358.415-ORS 358.440. Outreach to the museum community with proposed changes will be available at the Oregon Heritage Conference and feedback will be collected. The intention is to have this considered for the 2027 Legislative Session.

  *   The Commission discussed the draft 2026 Oregon Heritage Plan and provided comments. The draft plan is currently open for public comment. More information here<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/pages/tools.aspx#2026heritageplan>.
The next Oregon Heritage Commission Meeting will be held during the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference. Early Bird registration of $150 is open now through March 20. Learn more here<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/heritageconference.aspx>.
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American Alliance of Museums Blog - Talking to the Press: How to Excel as a Museum Spokesperson
How to Excel as a Museum Spokesperson<https://aam-us.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2605bbc11e6752de338ce7e61&id=2e84e3f0af&e=0645a66f24>
By Steve Lott
Need to speak to the press, but not sure how to prepare? This quick, practical guide is designed to help those with little or no experience take on the task with confidence, with the help of five simple tips.
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American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) and Coalition Sue U.S. Department of the Interior
Read AASLH's press release about the lawsuit challenging U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary's Order 3431, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,"  here<https://aaslh.org/opposing-censorship-aaslh-and-coalition-sue-u-s-department-of-the-interior/?utm_medium=email&utm_content=DRWOmhd8yIQz1a6WzSj32-G8XnGUB3ZSHVw7VwXy-eXHn99iEt1nNhJHXJWiexBb>.
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2026 Northwest Archivist Conference in Tacoma, June 24-26- call for proposals are open
The theme for 2026 is Grit and Memory: Preserving the Stories That Built Our Communities. Grit is the ability to overcome obstacles and challenges in our work: burnout, understaffing, budget cuts, backlogs, growing large workloads with shrinking resources, and many other challenges. How does grit help us to overcome these challenges and preserve the stories of our communities? At the same time, others have critiqued the concept of grit, so we ask, what does it mean to critique the concept of grit in the archival profession? Do we always have to be so gritty and make do with what we have? Or, can we find creative ways to identify and remove obstacles that should not be there for ourselves, our colleagues, our profession and our users?
A call for proposals for conference sessions and posters<https://northwestarchivists.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=nuF6rpkUXQqF92OWLty%2fw19aIUWHVAV0o0PQE7kjp9cMryBn3su7Rz2Et7B9iSKf8r7IAzeXk%2fuhNsnLo1cndKrGH4wfvarIAph4HnuVzbY%3d> have been sent out and the deadline for the call for proposals has been extended to March 6th. The Program Committee is excited to review your submissions!
Registration will open in March. Below are the registration rates:
Member Early Bird: $230 (End date: May 22, 2026)
Member Regular: $280 (Start date: May 23, 2026)
Non-Member: $330
Student: $115
To become a member, visit the Membership webpage<https://northwestarchivists.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=XGNSf6QR0u3sQesDbJXLHVZYDeCEjvifFmqdE6a%2bffKW%2b0JnZHwKNfk0wOmYTiI597yk6aH89gMumggM5bNIPEISucewLCgJtTuozQ4v2FI%3d>.
The venue will be at the Marriott Tacoma Downtown<https://northwestarchivists.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=siFZYE9%2bJzhpjktgBWr3c5aH9ku7PGfshVvjtZMQDyFVYEZ0oLT8h0naCm55aoKs8lzZTIyA%2bHTPmTKrqYZN1rzLGiF7IZ0Q%2bRmF9f2xCOw%3d>. Hotel room rates are $269 per room. More information on how to get the hotel rate will be released in March.
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Webinar: Tracing Trends in Philanthropy, March 5
Upcoming Webinar: Tracing Trends in Philanthropy<https://aam-us.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2605bbc11e6752de338ce7e61&id=cbc79a449f&e=0645a66f24>
American philanthropy is undergoing seismic shifts, from evolving donor priorities to new AI donation tools. How can museum people future-proof their fundraising strategies amidst this change? Join a free Future Chat webinar on March 5<https://aam-us.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2605bbc11e6752de338ce7e61&id=dfebd916c1&e=0645a66f24> to hear AAM's Elizabeth Merritt in conversation with development expert Jessica Proctor of the Museum of Utah.
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Gen Z Drafts New Declaration to Commemorate America's 250th Anniversary
Last week, Made By Us convened dozens of young adults from across the country at the National Constitution Center<https://historymadebyus.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fc7c913a1d212baf8f33288ae&id=fba89c4a9c&e=c4e927364b> to draft and sign the youth-written Our Declaration outlining their commitments and vision for America's next 250 years. Read more here<https://canwetalkgenz.substack.com/p/what-gen-z-is-declaring-at-americas?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true>.
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America 250 Oregon Grant Project Highlight - Film of Baker County residents read the Declaration of Independence
Crossroads Carnegie Art Center produced a film showing diverse Baker County residents sharing the Declaration of Independence in locations across the county.
Watch the film here<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAi834X7xLg>.
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Follow us on Facebook at @oregonheritage, on LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/company/oregon-parks-and-recreation-department/>, on the Oregon Heritage Exchange blog<https://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/>.
Oregon Heritage News is a service of Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office. Learn more about our programs at www.oregonheritage.org<http://www.oregonheritage.org/>. The news editor can be contacted at heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov<mailto:heritage.info at oprd.oregon.gov>.

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